Each week we highlight a different member of our community who inspires us. This week we’re showcasing: Shannon Stone!
Current City (or where you’re from): Scotch Plains, NJ
Tell us about you in 140 characters
I am a passionate person who loves simplicity, peace, and adventure. I love to teach, run and try to make the world a little brighter. :)
Your blog or website: https://myultrarunningjourney.wordpress.com/
Why did you decide to join The Tribe?
I joined the Tribe because I believe in the passion and spirit behind The Adventure Project. I met Becky at another non-profit and was drawn to her compassion and her desire to make the world a better place. I have seen the importance of doing good, but more so, the importance of sustainability! The Adventure Project is working to make sustainable changes, rather than put a band-aid on a problem.
As a teacher, I hope to teach my students about the world: its problems and its beauty. I try to engage my students and help them to see the importance of giving back. I want them to focus on their own unique gifts and talents and know that they can use these to help make a difference. We are happy to support TAP in any way we can. I truly believe that the work The Adventure Project is doing will change many lives and I am proud to be a part of this adventure.
What’s a favorite book you couldn’t put down:
Every book I read speaks to me in some way. Two that come to mind are The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho and Wild by Cheryl Strayed. But my favorite is the one my mom used to read to me: Play with Me. A simple story about the importance of ‘being still’.
What’s your theme song?
I am not sure about a theme song, but I love the simplicity of Fleet Foxes and the free-spirit of Phoenix.
What’s your favorite piece of advice someone gave you:
“Trust that you are exactly where you are supposed to be.” There is no ‘what if’, only ‘what is’. Too many of us live in the past or the future, and in doing so we live either in regret or fear. All we have is this present moment and we must embrace it for what it is.
Joy can be found in everything if you choose to seek it. Too many people let themselves become victims and stare at the doors closed instead of finding the opportunities in their trials. There is no ‘good’ or ‘bad’, only what is. And everything in life can be good if we allow ourselves to learn the lessons that our trials teach us and seek out the opportunities because of these lessons. We must TRUST that everything in life is working to make us a better person and that God has a perfect plan for us all. The key is to let HIS plan patiently unfold and enjoy the journey, moment by moment. Because joy is found in the journey when you trust that you are exactly where you are supposed to be.
What’s the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done:
I’ve always lived my life in two extremes. One being my love of security and familiarity, my other being my desire for adventure and change. So, while these two things may seem like complete opposites, they allow me to live my life in a way that finds balance by living in the extremes. Things that may seem adventurous to others just seem ‘normal’ to me. They have been things my spirit NEEDED to do and did without really thinking too much about the outcome.
I picked up and decided to move cross-country at age 21, and then two years later decided to go live in France and teach English. I love to travel and volunteer and have spent time in Senegal, Haiti and Sri Lanka. A few years ago i quit my job and left for Ecuador where I traveled alone, hiking in the back country and mountains, getting lost, falling down cliffs, and loving the freedom of it all. I then left for Nicaragua to teach English before coming back to the US to return to teaching, using my experiences to inspire my students. All the whilst running…and running…and running… Finding joy in Ultramarathons: 32 miles, 50 miles, 70 miles….working my way up to 100. :)
What are you most passionate about:
Peace. Finding it. Giving it. Inspiring others to live it and feel it and strive for it. Everything i do has, at the core of it, its roots in peace. When i teach my students i strive to teach them lessons that will allow them to find their own peace.
When I run, I do so knowing that i will find peace amongst nature. When I travel, I seek out environments that will speak peace into my soul and change me from the inside outside out. All I do is hopefully leading me to a deeper place of true peace. And when you have peaceful individuals you have a peaceful world. That is why i truly believe that before we can change the world for the better, we must first work on changing ourselves for the better.
If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would it be?
1. Switzerland, to run the 103-mile Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc.
2. Bhutan, to explore thier idea of “gross nationl happiness” and discover the beauty of the country and the people.
Email
Twitter
Facebook
Vimeo
Subscribe via RSS
Follow on Tumblr
Mobile version
Random post
